CHRISTIANITY UNDER SIEGE 600-1400 AD
Christianity as it was just beginning to take root in Europe, was attacked in three different ways: Vikings from the North, plague from the East and Islam from the South. I would like to take the next letters and look at these three attacks that came upon the kingdom of God and see what we can learn from them.
First, we have the Vikings from the North. A key figure in this is Alfred the Great who defeated Guthrum and his Viking armies in 878 A.D. Up until this time when one army defeated another army the five deadly sins were committed. What were they?
1. Human sacrifice.
2. Tyranny / worship of leaders
3. Enslaving or executing enemies
4. Rejection of God’s laws
5. Persecution of the believers
Alfred the Great gave to us what we now call “the just war theory.” He took the Ten Commandments and applied it to British Common Law. He is the one who said: “I need three types of men: men who can fight, men who can build, and men who can pray.” He went out to build Western civilization.
Alfred the Great, when he defeated Guthrum, did not do like other pagan kings did in the past to enslave and execute their enemies, but took Guthrum, brought him to Christianity, received baptism at the King’s own hands and was sent back to his own country. Alfred the Great went out to build Western civilization.
Alfred the Great was probably one of the best kings to rule England. He was just and moral. He brought a rebirth to religion; he advocated scholarly activity, brought about a code of laws. He had great military skills and the ability to inspire men. His testimony in brief was: “I desired to live worthily as long as I lived, and to leave after my life, to the men who should come after me, the memory of me in good works.”
Although King Alfred won many battles against the Vikings, the Almighty also allowed him to be harassed by the Vikings, to be sunk down in adversaries, be depressed by some of his followers so that he might learn that there is only one Lord and that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess. It is a lesson that every leader needs to learn, but sadly few do learn that it is God who is in control. He is the One who sets up kings and takes them down. Apostle Paul said: “And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.” Acts 17:25-27
We do not know for sure what religion Guthrum gave up, but we do know that some of them worshipped the one-eyed god of battle, called Odin, and the god, Thor, the hammer-wielding god of thunder. However, with the conversion of Guthrum to Christianity and along with German and Anglo-Saxon preachers – the kingdom of God was beginning to penetrate the men of the North, around 820’s onward.
Several things come out about Alfred the Great that are worth noting.
1. First, we see his piety towards his Maker.
2. Secondly, his devotion to learning and study. Whenever he had leisure time he would have books read to him. He, like Solomon, was a seeker after wisdom.
3. Thirdly, he believed that first things needed to come first. “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33
4. Fourthly, Alfred the Great surrounded himself with the right company to help him along the path of godliness and ruling justly. Werefrith, who was bishop of the church in Worcester and well versed in Scripture, Plegmund, the Archbishop of the church of Canterbury and a man of great wisdom, Etheistan and Werwulf, the king’s priests and chaplains, these were all godly men around Alfred. When he had free time he had them read books to him so that he might gain in knowledge and wisdom.
We need to pray and work towards seeing Godly leaders like this raised up in our day and age.